Economy

Miriam González Durántez, who in less enlightened times would have been known as Mrs Nick Clegg, used a column in George Osborne’s revanchist Evening Standard shortly before the general election to ‘school’ (as publishers of YouTube videos so love to say) Theresa May on the complexities of international trade ahead of her […]

More sophisticated technology coupled with the necessity created by the 2008/9 recession and a slow economy since then has led to transformation in some areas of the UK economy – and the trend is set to continue. This has clearly worried the government. Last week in the Spring Budget the […]

When is a Conservative not a Conservative? When they clobber entrepreneurs, increase taxes & spending, and add to the national debt. The press was briefed pre-budget that we were in for a dull affair, and Philip Hammond duly delivered. There was no radicalism, no imagination and – bizarrely – […]

Regardless of your individual stance on immigration, there is no avoiding the fact of public demand for lower numbers and stricter border control. The key is finding ways to do this sensibly, with as few downsides as possible for our economy, society, or the migrants themselves. Cracking down on overseas […]

The Autumn Statement contained some positive elements. It was pleasing to hear that the employment rate is at an all-time peak of 74.5% and that unemployment is at an 11-year low. We were happy to see the back of the “rabbit in the hat” political manoeuvres that Osborne was so […]

Don’t tell me Trump’s move into the White House is Brexit x 1000. While the two events appear identical, the similarities are superficial. The market’s reaction on Wednesday was anything but surprising. As the polls’ predictions revealed themselves to have been plucked from thin air, yet again, the markets tumbled. […]

Aditya Chakrabortty writes this morning on the deal between the May government and Nissan in quite astonishing terms. May has apparently promised to ‘subsidise Nissan’ against the cost of any potential Tariff barriers that will operate after Brexit between the UK and EU. This amounts to welfare for the corporations, […]

Mark Littlewood, Director General of the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), speaks at Conservatives for Liberty’s third birthday event about Theresa May, Brexit, the NHS, HS2, and Heathrow’s third runway. Follow @con4lib on Twitter Like Conservatives for Liberty on Facebook

There was a lot to like in Phillip Hammond’s first conference speech as Chancellor of the Exchequer. But there was also a much less welcome shift towards further state intervention in the economy. In stark contrast to Theresa May’s take-no-prisoners approach and Boris Johnson’s optimistic vision, Mr Hammond sounded a […]

Apparently, many moons ago, the postman used to knock on the door when he put the mail through the letterbox. Maybe in the USA it was a ring of the bell instead, which might explain the inspiration behind the title of the 1946 classic film-noir, The Postman Always Rings Twice, […]

The British steel industry has been at crisis point since last month, when Indian based steel company, Tata Steel, announced it’s plan to close down its steel plant in Port Talbot in Wales. With the prospect of 40,000 British steel workers suddenly losing their jobs, politicians, the media, and the […]

I am flabbergasted how anyone could not see exactly how it would play when the Chancellor proposed cutting the Personal Independence Payment. An arrogant, out of touch politician making savings by punishing people with serious disabilities while giving tax cuts to more prosperous professionals. That’s the popular image, and this […]